# How the Hell is Haddo's Delight a Love It/Hate It Blend?



## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

-- meaning on my first impression, I found it to be pretty good. There's no need for me to stock up, nor give away the rest of my tin. It's comprised of excellent components which I've come to rely on from G.L. Pease, and it has a subtly flavorful casing. The nicotine content is perfect for the strength I look for. My point being, I may buy a tin here and there, but I'll never either buy it by the pound nor turn my nose up at it. 

Now, I never try to understand the love of something, but it's the one-star hatred for the blend that really puzzles me. What's here to hate? I've found it's middle-of-the-road goodness from a quality blender. What were your reactions?


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## smokinmojo (Jan 24, 2005)

I've smoked one tin. (in record time) That was six months ago and haven't bought any more. I guess it was a delight to smoke, but not one that has me spellbound. :decision:


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

I really enjoy it when I smoke it, but it is not on my "must have an open tin" list. On a side note, I find I enjoy it a lot more once the tin has been open for a while.


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## Variables (Dec 2, 2009)

I love the flavor of it, but it SERIOUSLY kicks me in the butt. Maybe too high in nicotine for me? I'm not much for VaPer blends for this reason. Love the flavor, hate the kick.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Same way Fillmore is between you and I, DQ. It's a love/hate blend because you love it and I hate it! :laugh:

Seriously, there's no rhyme or reason to the chemical balance that controls taste buds. Further, there's more than taste at work. I don't actually hate Fillmore but it never fails to give me the most unpleasant hiccups. C&D OJK does the same. I don't know if it's the nicotine or the perique or a combo. I smoke and enjoy high nic blends and high perique level blends but those two tear me up. Still, I can recognize the high quality and a 1 star rating on either is absurd. I personally found Haddo's forgettable but ok - a 2 star blend. I've cellared what was left of my tin in the hopes that I'll enjoy it more when it's less vegetal.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I think it gets a lot of haters since its labeled as a VAper but, oh so!, topped and mixed with "lesser" components. Certainly not for the connoissuer of "pure" tobacco. I like it BTW, 'specially with a little age.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Mad Hatter said:


> I think it gets a lot of haters since its labeled as a VAper but, oh so!, topped and mixed with "lesser" components. Certainly not for the connoissuer of "pure" tobacco. I like it BTW, 'specially with a little age.


Totally agree with you, Joe. The purists definitely bristle when it's called a VaPer.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

dmkerr said:


> Totally agree with you, Joe. The purists definitely bristle when it's called a VaPer.


yes we do.

how is it a Va/Per when it has burley and a rum topping??
it's like calling a Penzance a staight VA. or calling Golden Sliced a mixture heavy in latakia. is BMW a Japanese made car? are Ducati's an inline 4 cyl motorcycle??
doesn't make sense, does it?

it's a light aromatic, in my books.

as far as the blend itself goes (not people mislabeling it a Va/Per), i found it kinda boring. it wasn't anything that after having a bowl, i craved for another one later in the week. 
i had a 2 oz tin a long time ago, back _before_ i was a Va/Per whore, didn't like it then.
i had an 8 oz tin with 5 yrs age on it, that i sent samples to many members who'd never had it, and i had a few bowls to remind me what it was like... still didn't like it.

for me, it's not the ppl calling it a VA/Per (although it does grind my gears a touch), it's that the blend didn't make me want another bowl, didn't have a good enough flavor that i'd want to buy more... that's how i judge tobacco. if i have a bowl (or an entire tin) and the final verdict is that i won't buy any more of it, then i didn't like it enough. with haddos, i don't like it enough to smoke an 8 oz tin of it and gave over 1/2 away then sold/trade the rest (been so long i forgot).


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

IHT said:


> how is it a Va/Per when it has burley and a rum topping??


It's a VaBurPerRum. A VaRumBurPer? A Pervarumburp? Anyway, it's definitely not a VaPer.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

dmkerr said:


> It's a VaBurPerRum. A VaRumBurPer? A Pervarumburp? Anyway, it's definitely not a VaPer.


I think its a sherry topping :kicknuts:


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## BrSpiritus (Apr 9, 2009)

After having my ass kicked around the block by Abingdon I'm not too excited to try any more GLP blends. It's like drinking a bottle of Chateau Margeux 2009 in January 2010... not enough age yet. Now if it was in he budget I would pick up a few tins and age them to see what they turn into in 3-5 years but I don't have kind of scratch on me right now.

BrSpiritus


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Mad Hatter said:


> I think its a sherry topping :kicknuts:


So you're telling me it's a Shervaburper???

And I thought the whole english/scottish/balkan thing was confusing! arty:


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

dmkerr said:


> So ... it's a Shervaburper


That nails it.

Heresy follows. Pease sniffers please avert your eyes upward and hit the "BACK" button.

I am happy for Haddo and all who enjoy the product but, like most GLP products, I find it inoffensive and forgettable. It may thrill aro-burley lovers as much as it depresses perique'ers.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Mister Moo said:


> That nails it.
> 
> Heresy follows. Pease sniffers please avert your eyes upward and hit the "BACK" button.
> 
> I am happy for Haddo and all who enjoy the product but, like most GLP products, I find it inoffensive and forgettable. It may thrill aro-burley lovers as much as it depresses perique'ers.


Gotta admit, I've been pretty unimpressed with GLP. Maybe theyre good with age but that sort of thing isn't my bag, baby.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Mister Moo said:


> ...
> Heresy follows. Pease sniffers please avert your eyes upward and hit the "BACK" button.
> ...


What about Pease snorkers? arty:

I haven't tried all the GLP blends, just Fillmore (love it) and Haddos (nice, for an occassional rum fix). Montgomery was too mild. Union Square is too nothing (no taste). Maltese Falcon I hated, but then again I hate all latakia.

But all of them have a few things in common, a perfect fill, a perfect burn, and an almost perfect moisture level outta the tin. Taste is subjective, but part (or most) of a blender's skill lies in producing an easily smokable blend. For that GLP gets full marks.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

I really enjoy Cumberland and Fillmore, and both are fairly unique tobaccos. I have liked his Latakia blends I've tried (Maltese, Blackpoint, and Westminster), I just don't smoke latakia that often. I think GLP has a great eye (or tongue?) for blending. But there's no accounting for taste.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

RJpuffs said:


> But all of them have a few things in common, a perfect fill, a perfect burn, and an almost perfect moisture level outta the tin. Taste is subjective, but part (or most) of a blender's skill lies in producing an easily smokable blend. For that GLP gets full marks.


Agree. GLP has produced little so far that is memorable to me but his stuff is well made with high quality tobacco. Oddly enough, even though I don't like GLP Abingdon, I get the distinct impression after smoking a tin that it's going to become iconic.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Robusto, Key Largo, and Fillmore are the three blends I really stock up on. If I can, I'll smoke each of these for life.

Westminster was one the best Englishes I've ever had, but the style is too medium strength for me, and I've discovered I love cigar leaf in my latakia blends. Abingdon was also excellent, but again I found myself missing cigar leaf. I've got a tin of Odyssey I'll get around to trying someday as full-strength Balkans still very much intrigue me. Pease's new "time of day" line with Chelsea Morning sounds promising, but I'm holding out for whatever his nightcap-esque blend is.

I gave Union Square a fair shake while getting into straight VAs. But I've tended towards other blender's VAs, like McClelland's Blackwoods Flake and Samuel Gawith's Bracken Flake. I've actually never had a bowl of Full Virginia Flake *sobs* but I really need to get my paws on some if it's ever available again. After va/pers and cigar/lat blends, VAs are easily my third favorite style, and I have a couple of nice briars dedicated to them, so I really need to try out everyone's go to VA, FvF.

Anyways, it's no secret that G.L. Pease is my favorite blender.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

RJpuffs said:


> What about Pease snorkers? arty:.


I honor the snorker who snorks what he likes. :banana:

GLP blends, my taste notwithstanding, are of course well blended, perfectly prepared and presented like gold. Tip of hat to GLP. :cheer2:

I'm sure if I could go through all 38 blends I'd find something that floats my boat better than Haddo's and all those others I tried and tried and tried. :frusty:


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

Wow & to think I was the only one who found most GLP blends unremarkable. 

I do like Westminster though & I have a tin each of Filmore & Barbary Coast that I have yet to try. 

But after smoking Union Square, I'm a little scared.


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

This thread has set me to wondering two things.

1. I wonder if Haddo's is soemthing I will really enjoy and should maybe add a tin to next month's order.

2. As much as I ADORE Fillmore, if people are calling it bland, or unremarkable, I have to wonder what else is out there I could be missing out on!

My goodness, TAD is strong recently.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Mister Moo said:


> I'm sure if I could go through all 38 blends I'd find something that floats my boat better than Haddo's and all those others I tried and tried and tried. :frusty:


For me so far... Fillmore, Union Square, Abingdon, Westminster, Haddo's, Telegraph Hill, Embarcadero, Barbary Coast, Tribute, Cairo, Laurel Heights, Cumberland... and nothing even close to a reference blend. But I continue to try. I've got Charring Cross and Stratford in my cellar yet.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Davetopay said:


> This thread has set me to wondering two things.
> 
> 1. I wonder if Haddo's is soemthing I will really enjoy and should maybe add a tin to next month's order.
> 
> ...


Can't hurt to try a tin of it - at worst you can send the remnants to IHT :banana:

I find Fillmore packs a punch, flavor and nic. Union Square is the bland runt of the litter (to me at least).


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

drastic_quench said:


> ...
> I've actually never had a bowl of Full Virginia Flake *sobs* but I really need to get my paws on some if it's ever available again.
> ...


Really???

There are pounds of it stashed somewhere, ahem, cough, . Send PM with destination coordinates and some full bowls will materialize.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

I'm in the "love it" camp. I have about five pounds of it and plan to add more.
(even if some of y'all call it an aromatic.) 

(I also love Fillmore and dislike Barbary Coast.)


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Hermit said:


> I'm in the "love it" camp. I have about five pounds of it and plan to add more.
> (even if some of y'all call it an aromatic.)
> 
> (I also love Fillmore and dislike Barbary Coast.)


I like it, once in a while, I only have a couple lbs stashed away arty:

A "better" version of Haddo's, for lack of a better way to describe it, is C&D's Exhausted Rooster. Same ingredients, burley/VA/Perique/Rum(?) but in a pressed flake (broken). Much more refined taste, more perique figginess and a bit less rummy/sherryness. I tried it from a 2 year old tin so this is with age (even my Haddo's was a year and a half so an almost fair comparison). I don't know what a young version of either tastes like.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

RJpuffs said:


> I like it, once in a while, I only have a couple lbs stashed away arty:
> 
> A "better" version of Haddo's, for lack of a better way to describe it, is C&D's Exhausted Rooster. Same ingredients, burley/VA/Perique/Rum(?) but in a pressed flake (broken). Much more refined taste, more perique figginess and a bit less rummy/sherryness. I tried it from a 2 year old tin so this is with age (even my Haddo's was a year and a half so an almost fair comparison). I don't know what a young version of either tastes like.


I loved the *Rooster* from the start, 
but I like it more and more all the time.
At this time, it's my favorite blend.
(I still have four signed tins from the original release.)


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

RJpuffs said:


> I like it, once in a while, I only have a couple lbs stashed away arty:
> 
> A "better" version of Haddo's, for lack of a better way to describe it, is C&D's Exhausted Rooster. Same ingredients, burley/VA/Perique/Rum(?) but in a pressed flake (broken). Much more refined taste, more perique figginess and a bit less rummy/sherryness. I tried it from a 2 year old tin so this is with age (even my Haddo's was a year and a half so an almost fair comparison). I don't know what a young version of either tastes like.


Ah-ha! Here we go!

I have a tin of Exhausted Rooster on hand. Only thing is, it is dated 11/10/2009. This makes me want to sit on it for a while and let it settle into itself. Maybe at one year I will crack it open.......


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Davetopay said:


> Ah-ha! Here we go!
> 
> I have a tin of Exhausted Rooster on hand. Only thing is, it is dated 11/10/2009. This makes me want to sit on it for a while and let it settle into itself. Maybe at one year I will crack it open.......


Except that, come November, you'll kick yerself 
for not trying it sooner and buying a few pounds. 
(It's good fresh, anyway.)


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

RJpuffs said:


> Can't hurt to try a tin of it - at worst you can send the remnants to IHT :banana:
> 
> I find Fillmore packs a punch, flavor and nic. Union Square is the bland runt of the litter (to me at least).


lol... if it's the Fillmore, sure, i'll take it. 
not the Haddos. :bitchslap:

I've had a bowl of Union Square, from a tin that had been opened and aired out for a few months, and it was very good (to me), had a ton of flavor.

that's kinda the issue i've had with C&D/GLP blends. they are downright flavorless lately until they've been able to air out a few months. i have a tin of Bayou Morn Flake, been open for probably 8+ months now, still flavorless (unless i DGT it).


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

Hermit said:


> I loved the *Rooster* from the start,
> but I like it more and more all the time.
> At this time, it's my favorite blend.
> *(I still have four signed tins from the original release.*)


from IPC?

btw - i didn't know it had rum on it? i had a large sample from someone, didn't taste any toping on it.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Interesting. Maybe I'll put my tin of Union Square aside for a few months to see if it develops.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

IHT said:


> from IPC?
> 
> btw - i didn't know it had rum on it? i had a large sample from someone, didn't taste any toping on it.


Yeah, the group buy that Nick did.
I bought five, smoked one at a year and
I'll prolly save the other four for a *long* time.
(I dunno 'bout that rum thing either.) :dunno:


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Hermit said:


> Yeah, the group buy that Nick did.
> I bought five, smoked one at a year and
> I'll prolly save the other four for a *long* time.
> (I dunno 'bout that rum thing either.) :dunno:


I find Ex.Rooster has the same Haddo'esque taste attributed to rum/sherry/whatever. And it comes in 8oz tubs :cheer2:


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## GregoryD (Apr 2, 2009)

I find that my enjoyment of Haddos is dependent on the pipe that I'm smoking it in. Haven't nailed down the specifics or even cared to figure out which pipes did which, but I know that the best smoke I've had with it was in a Kirsten, followed by a small Mario Grandi billiard, so perhaps smaller bowls work better?

It's cased either with rum or cognac, that much is certain. A cigar manufacturer friend of mine made a mistake when he attempted to case some of his cigars in cognac for his shop, and when I opened the lid to take a whiff, it was VERY close to the smell of Haddo's, minus the obvious perique pungency.


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## Variables (Dec 2, 2009)

GregoryD said:


> I find that my enjoyment of Haddos is dependent on the pipe that I'm smoking it in.


Definitely a small pipe blend for me. Filled half of a Randy Wiley last weekend with Haddo's, and it really kicked my butt.


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## Variables (Dec 2, 2009)

Had a nice Thai dinner tonight, then retired to my patio to work on a bowl of Haddo's. Decided to go with half of a large bowl, just because I felt like smoking it out of a larger pipe. Didn;t get my ass kicked that bad, but this is still a very stout blend for me. Thanks to that large meal, I survived with a case of light headedness 

I still really like this blend. Just wish it was not this strong for me.


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## Jessefive (Oct 21, 2009)

Sorry to revive an old thread, but... I can definitely see how this is a "love it" blend at least. I fired up a bowl not knowing what to expect, other than the notes that its a VA/Per/Bur/Cav, and I was instantly impressed. Maybe its my recent binge of english blends that made this a welcome return to my first love, perique. Or maybe its the topping, that I didn't even detect until I started reading reviews on TR and here. But I am really enjoying this blend, haters be damned! 

I've really enjoyed nearly everything I've had from GL Pease, and this is no exception. This is going on my "to stock up on" list.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

I'm revisiting my jar-aged stash lately. Haddo's is still a solid, reliable winner in my book. It's right at home in a cob, which is good because it's too unique to smoke in my dedicated briars.


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## jtree26 (Aug 20, 2008)

I think it's a decent blend but it is one of the few pipe tobaccos that have made me woozy from the nicotine, so I don't smoke it often.


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

I was gifted a sample of it, and really kind of had the same impression you did. It was a good solid smoke. I haven't bought any simply because my budget is very limited and there are blends out there that warrant more attention. If I ever get to a point to where I can afford to buy random tins this one is on my list.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

I felt this blend was just "Meh" at best. Very solid, very enjoyable, and well blended. Still, it reminded me of GLP's other non-latakia offerings, but without any standouts.

I like Cumberland for the deep darkness that it embodies, and have scored some older tins from the B&M for the cellar. Still, Haddos tasted very similiar to me, but brighter and sweeter.

Went well in a cob for sure, but didn't have the "Gotta havit" factor of the old Cumberland I ran across. Unless I found a very well aged tin somewhere for peanuts, I'd gladly pick up several other blends.

Interesting to read what others have said about C&D blends needing air in this thread. I agree wholeheartedly! Many that I've sampled have been so-so upon opening, and really shined after being opened a week or three. 

The thing I like about their blends though, is that they do seem to dry well when aired out in a dish or clean ashtray before smoking. Other houses seem to need ages, whereas the C&D's I've smoked seem to take far less than an hour to reach smokeable RH. Cudos to them for going easy on the humectants I reckon.

JKP is another story for me. I love this one from the first thin flake I sliced off. Of course this one is much less Schitzo than Haddos or some of the other GLP/C&D blends, and is Kentucky heavy rather than being a blend of 7 kinds of baccy. Still, I like the honesty of JKP, and find it refreshing to see a "blend" that uplifts a tobacco varietal rather than trying to find a blend of 7 that comes across as warm sweet air.


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